This Map Shows All Drive-In Theaters Still Operating in America
Visitors to a drive-in theater in Ohio (Associated Press)
If your desire to revel in childhood nostalgia is strong enough to overcome a few major inconveniences, this is the map for you!
Popping up across America as the country embraced the car in the wake of the post-war boom, drive-in movie theaters became a staple of ‘50s and '60s culture. They brought together communities, gave families access to cheap entertainment, helped bring Hollywood productions to the masses, and gave teenagers a place to neck with their special someone in their sin wagons. The movement peaked in the late '50s, when there were over 4,600 different drive-in locations, and suffered a precipitous decline starting in the 1980s.
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Today, there are just 336 left in America, all of which are cataloged in the very busy map below, via braid.io, using data from drive-ins.com.
Thanks to the rise of at-home streaming services; the cost of switching from film reel to digital projection; and the move of more people to urban areas, it is an especially difficult time for drive-in theaters. But the industry is healthier in some states than others. New York and Ohio have the most drive-ins, at 28 each, while Indiana and California each have 18. New Jersey, meanwhile, only has one drive-in.
Unlike your favorite childhood movies, these remaining theaters are unlikely to be rebooted, so hit the road and check 'em out โ and go to braid.io for more detailed information.